The Great Family of Pella
by Historyexplorer12
Summary: Alexander & Hephaestion have a family of their own! With two young ones, what messes can they get into, and what lessons can they learn? Sequel to "Darko!" Dislaimer: Alex & Phai belong to Oliver Stone & themselves! Warning: post-mpreg, OC, m/m, f/f, possibly AU, swearing
1. Defending Honor

**AN: Iphigeneia is 5 here. Darko is 7. Enjoy!**

Iphigeneia stormed into the house, little fists balled at her sides and brows knit together in fury. Darko came in shortly after her, sobbing. And, when his parents looked closer, bruised and bleeding.

"Darling! Are you all right? Come here," Hephaestion hugged and shushed his son before taking him into the washroom to clean up. As he calmed his son and nursed his wounds, Alexander and Iphigeneia followed him into the room.

"Neia, what happened? You didn't hit him, did you?" Alexander asked.

The young girl shook her long, blond curls, "No, Father."

"Then what happened?"

"The boys in school were picking on him, Father. Two bigger boys."

"Why?"

"Because of his limp and because you and Momma are both boys."

Hephaestion's back stiffened and Alexander froze in shock as well.

"Okay... then what happened?"

"I hit them, Father."

"Neia, I am proud of you for protecting your brother, but violence is never the answer."

"But you hit strange men who look at Momma funny," the girl said innocently.

Hephaestion snorted from where he was bandaging their eldest's knee, and Alexander shot him a glare.

"I-I do that to protect your Momma's honor, Sweetheart," Alexander fumbled for a reply.

"What's "honor," Father?"

"Honor is like- it is the respect he gets from others and what others think of him, Sweetheart."

"Oh," she bent her head, contemplating this, "Do I have honor, Father?"

"You will when you are older, Neia. You have to get bigger like Momma and I first."

"Okay, Father," she smiled.

"I am very proud of you, Neia, but the next time something like that happens, come get Momma and I, all right?"

"I promise."

"Such a good girl," he kissed her forehead, "I love you."

Neia hugged her father, reaching around him as far as her little arms could go, "I love you, Father."

* * *

Later that night, Hephaestion caught his husband around the waist from behind, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Defending my honor when we were younger."

"Yes, well, Cassander deserved it."

"Yes, he did. But did you have to lock him in your mother's snake closet?"

"His two weaknesses: the dark and snakes. Why not? Like I said, he deserved it."

Hephaestion laughed loudly, but it was muffled by Alexander's deep kiss.

"I love you, Phaiston. I will defend your honor until the day I die."

"Thank you. But don't you think I can defend my own honor?"

"That's the thing, Love. You shouldn't have to."


	2. Lies & Truths

"Come to bed with us Darling. You'll feel better in the morning," Hephaestion promised his battered son that night as he took him in his arms.

"Momma, me too! Me too!" Iphigeneia reached up, begging to be held.

"Up, good girl."

They all, Alexander included, snuggled on the bed in the master bedroom. Alexander cuddled his little girl close while Hephaestion relaxed beside his growing boy, rubbing his back to comfort him. Alexander and Iphigeneia fell asleep immediately, but it took longer for Darko to fall asleep. Just by looking at his face, Hephaestion could tell something was weighing on his mind. He relaxed beside him, prepared to wait until Darko told him what was bothering him.

"Momma?" a small voice beside Hephaestion said.

_"There it is." _"Yes, Darling?"

"You love me, right?" two eyes of different colors looked up at him, pleading and hoping all at once.

"Yes, of course. Who told you I didn't?"

"Those boys..." ah, there was his answer, "They said I was a mistake. They said I was a curse, that men couldn't have babies. I knew that, but you always said Neia and I were miracles..."

"That is because you are. We would never lie to you. Those boys were only trying to hurt you. Who are these boys? Maybe Father and I can talk to their parents, or the teacher. Yes, I think we'll do that. Who are they?"

"Aniketos and Pyrrhos. They're two years ahead of me."

"Father and I will handle it. Don't worry. Just sleep. You're safe now."

"Thank you, Momma. I love you."

"You're welcome, my brave boy. I love you," and began to hum the lullaby he had sung when Darko was small as he rocked him to sleep gently.


	3. Rumors

**Warning: Seductive talk at the end of this chapter, and swearing (represented by dash (-) lines)**

"Linos!" Hephaestion and Alexander strolled into the classroom after school had let out the next day, amid chatting, excited students on their way home. As students passed them, both Hephaestion and Alexander could hear their whispers.

_"That's Darko's parents."_

_"They say Hephaestion gave birth to him like a girl."_

_"Which is Hephaestion?"_

_"Long brown hair, blue eyes."_

_"They also say that he's Alexander's -."_

Hephaestion stiffened at that, but Alexander hand on the small of his back kept him moving. Once the boys had all left, Alexander approached the teacher.

"Linos, we would like to talk to you about some things Darko said regarding some of the older boys here."

"Certainly."

"Yesterday, Darko came home bleeding, and our youngest said that two older boys had teased him for his limp and the fact that he had two boys as his parents. Last night, he asked Hephaestion if we loved him and said that the two boys had said he was a curse."

"Do you have the names of these boys?"

"Pyrrhos and Aniketos."

"I will watch for them. This will never happen again, I assure you."

"Thank you," and they began the walk home.

* * *

Once they got home, Hephaestion exploded, and that's just the start of it.

"Those boys! I am no one's -!" in their bedroom, he bent over and started to braid his hair on his own with agitated fingers, a habit for when he was either going to war or as angry as he was now, "Who told them about us?!"

"I don't know, Love. But you can't fight a couple of fourteen-year-olds," Alexander had a half smile on his lips, watching his husband with amusement.

Hephaestion stood up straight and glared at his lover, "Watch me."

Alexander grinned. This was a lioness protecting her cubs. He knew of nothing more beautiful.

"Love, Darko has to fight this on his own. He has to prove to those boys that he is no one to be messed with. He has to prove to himself that being strong is not just about brawn and muscle."

Hephaestion deflated, "You're right. It's just-"

"He's your babe, I know. Do you want me to finish braiding your hair?"

"You're just going to untie it later," Hephaestion smirked.

Alexander knew that look and it was never good, so he said cautiously, "Why?"

"Because after the kids are in bed, we're going to have a long, hot bath together, and then I'm going to - you into the mattress..." Hephaestion lowered his voice seductively, looking up at his lover.

"I'm all yours..." Alexander told him, "Forever and for always."


	4. Fire

It was eight at night, well past the time Darko should have been home from school. Hephaestion was pacing in front of the door, the rhythm of his boots on the floor making their youngest fall asleep in Alexander's arms.

"I'm going to look for him," he finally decided when darkness fell.

"Be careful," Alexander kissed his lover.

"Bolt the door behind me and don't answer it unless it's me or Darko. I'll knock four times. Be safe."

And then he was gone, guided on his quest by Aiolos, the god of wind, and Nyx, or Night.

* * *

Not long after Hephaestion was gone, Alexander put Neia down for the night. He then took up his husband's earlier occupation and began to pace in front of the door. After a few hours of this, Alexander heard a _thunk _just behind the door. Curious and frightened he went touch the door. Suddenly flames began to lick the bottom of the door.

"NEIA!" Alexander ran to his daughter's room. Picking her up he opened the netting on her window and got her outside.

"Father!" she wailed.

"It's all right Sweetheart. I love you. Get away as far as you can from the house."

Just as he began to cough, she ran the direction her mother had taken, not looking back.

* * *

Hephaestion had found Darko beaten to unconsciousness in the city streets not far from his school. Now, as he was coming over the crest of the hill that seperated the town from the house in which they lived, he saw flames and smoke in the sky just as a small body barreled into him.

"Neia? What's-"

"House, fire!" she tried to explain.

Hephaestion understood, and he immediately counted heads, "Where's Father, Neia? Where is he?" she pointed back toward the house.

_"Oh Gods, no," _he prayed, as he watched the flames in the sky.

"Stay here with Brother. Alexander!" and he ran down to the house.

He fought his way inside and began searching for his soulmate. The whole house was ablaze. Fighting the flames, he found Neia's room. And Alexander. Picking the man's limp body up, he somehow made it out of the house and back to his children. When he reached them, he collapsed onto his knees, and, for the first time, sobbed in front of his babes.

"Alexander... please, wake up... Wake up... Oh Gods, please..." he begged.

"Momma!" Neia pointed at her father, "Father breathing!"

That was when Hephaestion noticed; Alexander was breathing. He was alive. This made Hephaestion sob harder, and kiss Alexander's cheek very gently.

A groan came from the man beside him, and Hephaestion watched as Alexander's mismatched eyes appeared.

"Phaistion?" his mouth moved, but his voice had been taken by the smoke of the fire.

"I'm here, Love, I'm here," Hephaestion fought with all he was worth not to cry again, "You're safe."

Alexander cracked a small smile and then fainted again.


	5. Healing

Alexander awoke to something cool on his face. He opened his still burning eyes to see a blurry yet obvious Hephaestion. Hephaestion was singing softly to himself as he tended to the man who now knew he was lying in a stranger's bed.

Alexander fought both drowsiness and pain to make his lips move, although his voice still evaded him, "Phaistion?"

"Thank the Gods, you're awake," Hephaestion breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where are we?"

"In the village. One of the women saw what happened and took us in. Her husband is away selling food in the next town over."

"Neia-"

"Is safe. She's outside playing with the boy that lives here."

"Darko-"

"Still not awake for the day, but bandaged now. I found him in the streets here, beaten."

"How long was I-"

"Six days. I am so glad you're awake," Alexander began to cough, bringing up mucus.

"Okay, it's okay," Hephaestion grabbed a rag from the end of the bed and held Alexander up, "I will get you some water."

"Momma..." came a call from the other bed, where a bandaged Darko was just waking up.

"I'm here, Darling," Hephaestion went to stand over the other bed in the room.

"I'm hot..."

"Shh..." Hephaestion folded back the bedcovers and then started to change the bandages.

"Mumma..." Darko whined.

"I'm here, Darling. Mumma's here," obviously frazzled, Hephaestion worked to hide his stress.

Once Darko was settled, Hephaestion went to the village square to draw water. As he was walking back to the hut, he found Neia and the boy playing a clapping game, she settled happily in his lap, as he was older than her by several years.

Hephaestion smiled at the scene. He was so gentle with her. His parents had named him well. Tryphon. His name meant "softness, delicacy." Yes, his parents had named him very well.

"Neia, Darling!" he called as he walked over to them, "May I have Tryphon for a little while?" She nodded, and as Tryphon stood, began playing in the grass by herself.

"What may I do for you, Sir?"

Hephaestion blinked in surprise. For a ten-year-old, he sure was willing to work, and so polite too.

After he had recovered from the shock, he said, "I need you to comfort my eldest, Darko. He's asking for me, but with Alexander the way he is, I can't lay with him and hold him just yet."

"I can do that," and they made their way back to the hut.

"Mumma..." came the helpless cry.

"I'm here Babe. I just went to get water for Father. This is Tryphon. He's going to lay with you while I care for Father."

"But- I want you, Mumma," the young boy began to cry silently.

"I know, my love, but I must take care of Father."

"I can take care of Alexander if you would like," Tryphon offered.

"Yes, let's do that. Come here, Babe. Oh yes..." Hephaestion laid beside his child.

Darko curled into his mother, now happy, safe and warm, and fell asleep as Tryphon looked on, smiling softly.


	6. The Bond's Miracle

In a fortnight, Darko was back to playing and running around, the only bandage on him being for a cut under his left eye. Alexander was more of a challenge, as he had burns on his face, ankles, thighs, and chest. His voice had also not returned.

Hephaestion and Tryphon kept vigil, rubbing salve on the burns to let them heal. They learned to read the signs of Alexander's wants and needs, although this was easier for Hephaestion, as he had been with Alexander since childhood.

Finally, after a month, Alexander regained his voice.

"Hephaestion..." he coughed, his voice rough with disuse.

Hephaestion stood stock still, stunned. Slowly, he looked at Alexander. Tryphon was grinning from ear-to-ear across the room, watching.

"Hephaestion..." Alexander called again, reaching an arm down to the end of the bed, where the latter had been cutting and folding new bandages.

"Alexander... did you just talk?" Hephaestion's words were careful, suspicious.

"Hephaestion..." Alexander repeated, the man smiling now because his love was within reach.

The effect was immediate for Hephaestion. He grinned and quickly bent down to Alexander, kissing him and gently holding his bandaged hands. Then he stood and slapped Alexander across the cheek, where the skin was undamaged.

"Don't you _ever _scare me like that again! I thought you were dead! I thought-I-" and then came the rush of tears.

Teyphon was quick to come forward as Hephaestion fell to his knees and sobbed into the bedcovers. He was stopped short by Alexander's mismatched, calculating stare.

Alexander then bent forward and rubbed Hephaestion between the shoulders to comfort him.

"Hephaestion," the man of that name looked up at his lover.

As Hephaestion looked up into Alexander's eyes, those eyes softened.

_"I'm here,"_ they said, _"You have not lost me yet."_

Hephaestion smiled and kissed his love once more, this one slow and sweet, and as strong as their bond.


	7. The First Smile

They had gotten Alexander out of bed a fortnight later. Hephaestion carried him gently outside while he clung to him, crying and moaning in pain.

"Shh, shh..." Hephaestion pet the gold curls that had had to be cut after the fire.

Tryphon helped ease Alexander into a chair on the lawn.

"Where does it hurt Love?" Hephaestion knelt beside the chair, "We have salve," at that, Tryphon ran back into the house to get the salve.

When he came back with it, Hephaestion began to rub it gently on the burns, making Alexander almost animalistic in his grunts, groans and efforts to get away.

"H-hurts..." he croaked.

"Shh..." Tryphon soothed while behind the chair, taking Alexander's head in soft hands and supporting it while Alexander bent nearly in half backwards in his efforts to get away, "You're all right..."

"BAGOAS!" Alexander screamed at the top of his lungs before panting heavily and then screaming again as Hephaestion applied salve to the burn on his inner thigh.

"I'm here..." Tryphon began to sing a Syrian song quietly, being Greek on his mother's side and Syrian on his father's.

Alexander began to sob in pain, and then Hephaestion leaned back and put the salve down.

"All done. Oh Love," he hugged him, the kisses he placed on his neck, shoulder, and lips begging for forgiveness, "I'm so sorry. Shh... Shh..." he rocked him as Alexander continued to sob loudly, "It is all right..."

Darko saw all of this, and waddled over, innocent.

"Momma, is Father sick?"

"Very, my Love," Hephaestion said while still holding Alexander.

"May I give him something?"

"You may-" to Hephaestion's surprise, Darko ran inside the hut. In a few minutes, he was back however.

"Here, Papa. My lion will make you feel better," Darko handed the new stuffed animal to Tryphon, who in turn laid it gently in Alexander's lap, who proceeded to sob over it.

"Papa, lion supposed to make you feel better. No more cry," Darko kissed Alexander's cheek before running off to play.

"Phai..." Alexander was choked up.

"Yes, Xander?" Hephaestion leaned in close to hear.

"I love him. I love you all..."

"I know, Love. We love you too," and for the first time since the fire, Alexander gave a ghost of a smile.

Hephaestion silently rejoiced upon seeing this. It was a sure that his beloved Alexander was healing.


	8. Flashback

"Slow steps, that's it," Hephaestion walked Alexander into the kitchen for supper.

"Shit..." Alexander mouthed in pain, his voice still not perfect.

Hephaestion smiled, kissing the top of his love's head, "It's okay. Just a few more steps."

Alexander stumbled and went careening toward the ground. But Hephaestion was there, wrapping his arms around the falling man. As soon as they were safe on the ground, Alexander began to sob.

"Tryphon, can you help me get him to the chair? Thank you," as the boy rushed over from his place by the hearth, where he had been making a quick dinner, "Just a few more steps, Xander, I promise you. There you are. And sit. There!"

As Hephaestion prepared a bowl of porridge mixed with honey to feed Alexander, Alexander saw the steam and felt the heat from it on his face. A flashback of the fire ran across his mind, and he panicked, knocking the bowl and spoon out of Hephaestion's hands.

"Xander! It's gone, done! It's done! The fire is gone! You're safe. I swear, you are safe... Never think otherwise, all right? I will always protect you. Always."

Alexander shivered in his lover's arms as Tryphon cleaned up the spilled breakfast and then got Alexander some bread with honey on it to eat instead, giving it to Hephaestion and watching him gently present it to the man in his arms, and watch Alexander use his fingers to feed himself.

And he decided that while this flashback was a setback for Alexander, he was making more progress than not, and smiled to himself at the thought.


End file.
